CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Ah. I sucked at physics so it's no surprise really! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted July 23, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted July 23, 2010 Nope, I mean parallel. Perpendicular the one being dropped would hit the ground first by miles, because the bullet, (assuming you made the gun perpendicular to the ground facing up) would be accelerating away from the ground for a while. Gun (and bullet to be dropped) --------------------------------------> Ground _________________________________________ You drop a bullet from the same height as the gun as you fire it, the bullets will both hit the ground at the same time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kiddybloke Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Hot water freezes faster than cold water. BOOM! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 my mind was blown Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted July 23, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted July 23, 2010 And pure water doesn't boil at 100 degrees C (nor freeze at 0) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The_Rev Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Nope, I mean parallel. Perpendicular the one being dropped would hit the ground first by miles, because the bullet, (assuming you made the gun perpendicular to the ground facing up) would be accelerating away from the ground for a while. Gun (and bullet to be dropped) --------------------------------------> Ground _________________________________________ You drop a bullet from the same height as the gun as you fire it, the bullets will both hit the ground at the same time. Ah, I can picture what you were saying now. This is another "in theory" one though isnt it? I mean, does it account for things like rifling? Hot water freezes faster than cold water. BOOM! Only sometimes though! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chindie Posted July 23, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted July 23, 2010 Ah, I can picture what you were saying now. This is another "in theory" one though isnt it? I mean, does it account for things like rifling? Rifling shouldn't make a difference - all that does is impart spin on the bullet making it more accurate/stable - the point of this experiment is that gravity effects all things regardless of their own movement. The fired bullet will be effected by gravity in the exact same way as the dropped one, it will just be travelling laterally as it is. It will drop the same distance in the same time. Of course this assumes that nothing effects the bullets in travel, like wind which could cause it drop faster or slower for instance, but the theory is still the same. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Gravity, apparently, goes nuts when you are in a dreamscape. However, this aids the process of having a kick ass fight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AVFC-Prideofbrum Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 I got it wrong it seems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ozvillafan Posted July 23, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted July 23, 2010 The simple experiment quoted in the opening post shows that gravity exerts the same force on all objects, regardless of their weight or size. I think things like "in a vacuum" and "terminal velocity" and the like are just confusing the issue. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted July 23, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted July 23, 2010 The extra mass of the heavier ball acts as a stonger force and will increase the velocity of the object that will help overcome the wind resistance acting against both objects. (As someone said, assuming that its not in a vacuum). The heavier object will reach faster, but you probably would not be able to tell from a quick visual check. (Thats my understanding at least) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Surely if you dont know the answer to this you are a **** idiot? Its middle school level physics at most. yeah, but if you left school over 20 years ago now, surely it is acceptable to have "forgotten" this? :oops: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nigel Posted July 23, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted July 23, 2010 The simple experiment quoted in the opening post shows that gravity exerts the same force on all objects, regardless of their weight or size. I think things like "in a vacuum" and "terminal velocity" and the like are just confusing the issue. What you say is right, if taken on its own gravity will act the same on all objects. However, if it is a simple experiment then you would presume it would be done in normal room conditions, thus all the forces acting, not only gravity. Thus forces such as wind resistance (when not in a vacuum) and terminal velocity (if the distance allows it to come into account) cant be ignored. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
saturdaygig Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 The simple experiment quoted in the opening post shows that gravity exerts the same force on all objects, regardless of their weight or size. Thus forces such as wind resistance (when not in a vacuum) and terminal velocity (if the distance allows it to come into account) cant be ignored. Ozvilla isn't quite right. Gravity acts according to the mass of an object not its weight. Weight results from mass x force due to gravity, so that the same object has different weights on different planets. But he's absolutely right that gravity exerts the same force on all objects. What Nigels point brings in is that gravity is not the only force acting on most objects, so its not the only thing that affects their behaviour. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xann Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 How stuff works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjmooney Posted July 23, 2010 VT Supporter Share Posted July 23, 2010 People were apparently quite surprised when Galileo demonstrated it off the Leaning Tower of Pisa (although the story is probably apocryphal). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDon Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 The simple experiment quoted in the opening post shows that gravity exerts the same force on all objects, regardless of their weight or size. I think things like "in a vacuum" and "terminal velocity" and the like are just confusing the issue. Except it doesn't, because the experiment in the OP will have the heavier object hitting the ground first. You can say that taking into account air resistance is "confusing the issue" but it's not, it's answering the question given. What would confuse the issue is doing the experiment in the OP whilst ignoring things like air resistance and the objects terminal velocity, because it would lead to the wrong conclusion that gravity effects the heavier object more. If you want to confuse the issue then I can state that even in a vacuum the heavier object will hit the ground first, because gravity isn't just pulling the object down to the ground, the object is pulling the ground up to it, so the heavier object actually has to fall a shorter distance Ofc if you drop them both at the same time the lighter object also benefits from that, although there will be tilt involved so the heavier object will still hit the ground first, and I seem to remember something in Einstein's theory of relativity that also says the larger object will fall faster, but I can't remember exactly what part of the theory. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PompeyVillan Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 I blame the question. I voted C, but I interpreted the question as purely the force of gravity on both objects, not when they hit the floor and all of the other factors involved. I interpreted the question as being purely about gravity not about air resistance and velocity etc. Actually... what TheDon said- he knows everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blandy Posted July 23, 2010 Moderator Share Posted July 23, 2010 TheDon's wrong, though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarewsEyebrowDesigner Posted July 23, 2010 Share Posted July 23, 2010 Oh no he didnt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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